1927 Gold Sovereign South Africa


The 1927 Gold Sovereign. South Africa Mint.

The Reverse shows Benedetto Pistrucci’s famous portrayal of St George slaying the dragon on the reverse of the coin. A small 'SA' above the date shows the coin was minted at the South African mint.

The edge is reeded.

King George V’s portrait by Bertram Mackennal can be seen on the obverse of the coin.

Images used by permission of The Royal Mint.


Mintage: 16,379,704 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at The South African Mint.
Remember 1927 ?
Monarch is George V. Prime Minister is Stanley Baldwin (Conservative). US President is Calvin Coolidge. The BBC gets its Royal Charter. The First transatlantic telephone call from New York City to London. Joe Davis wins the first World Snooker Championship in Birmingham. Cardiff City won the FA Cup beating Arsenal 1-0 at Wembley.
George V (1910-1936)
George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936 and was King during World War 1. George was the second son of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), and grandson of Queen Victoria. After his death he was succeeded by his eldest son, Edward VIII.

In 1919-20, the Silver price rose dramatically so .925 silver coins began to made in 0.500 siver. Gold Sovereigns were produced in large quantities early in George's reign - over 30 million in 1911 and again in 1912, although there was no bullion sovereigns issued 1918-1924 (Commonwealth mints did continue mintage).
Category: Sovereigns
The 1927 Gold Sovereign South Africa is an example of the Gold Sovereign and is one of the most ubiquitous of all coins and much sought after by both coin collectors and bullion investors. Sovereigns have been minted since 1817 (in Britain 1817-1917, 1925 and 1957 on). At coins fairs you often hear the dealers refer to these coins as Sovs.

Besides being minted in Britain, Sovereigns have been made in Australia (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth), India (then Bombay, now Mumbai), Canada (Ottawa) and South Africa (Pretoria) although these regional mints have not made sovereigns since 1932 (although India has produced some recently in a private mint partnership with the Royal Mint). The non-British coins carry a small mintmark ('S','M','P','I','C' or 'SA') just above the date. This 1927 Gold Sovereign South Africa was minted at The South African Mint.

The Obverse is the Monarch's head (George V) and the Reverse is most often St George and the Dragon, although other backs have been used and are of interest to collectors. The Reverse often gives the Sovs a new term, like "ShieldBacks".

Specifications for the Gold Sovereign
 
  • Weight: 7.9881g
  • Diameter: 22.05 mm
  • Thickness: 1.52 mm
  • Purity: 22 carat = 91.67% (11/12ths gold, 1/12th copper. Adding copper makes the coin more scratch and dent resistant)
  • Gold Content: 113 grains = 7.3224 g = 0.2354 troy ounce
  • Face value: £1 = 20 shillings
  • Monarch: George V

History

Up until 1604 there was a coin called the English gold sovereign and in 1816 when there was the "Great Recoinage" the name was revived. At that time standard gold (22 carat) was valued at £46 14s 6d per troy pound; this meant a £1 coin needed to weigh 123.2744783 grains or 7.988030269 g. The weight is still the same today.

As a historical note: to maintain the Gold Standard, in 1816 the value of silver was set at 66 shillings for one troy pound and silver coins were only legal for denominations up to £2.

The first sovereigns carried the head of King George III and the famous George and the Dragon design by Benedetto Pistrucci (29 May 1783 – 16 September 1855), an Italian engraver who became chief medallist at the Royal Mint.

With high value coins such as the 1927 Gold Sovereign South Africa, collectors and bullion investors often worry about forgeries but actually gold coins are very difficult to forge due to gold's unique properties of density and colour. Gold is extremely dense and to use another metal and gold-plate it would result in a coin that is under-weight, over-diameter or half as thick, something that would be spotted very easily. More difficult to spot would be a bullion coin melted down and re-cast as a highly collectable date, but an expert can usually tell these too. You should always use reputable dealers.

Which Mint: The South African Mint
The South African Mint Company Limited is the official mint of the Republic of South Africa. Headquarters are in Centurion, Gauteng Province near Pretoria. The mint manufactures coins on behalf of the South African Reserve Bank
Country of Origin: South Africa
South Africa is officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA) It is the southernmost country in Africa.

The coins of the South African rand are part of the physical form of South Africa's currency, the South African rand. In 1961, South Africa replaced the pound with a decimal currency: 100 cents (100c) = 1 rand (R1), 1 rand being valued at 10 shillings and 1 cent at 1.2 pence.

The Krugerrand is one of the World's most famous gold coins, being 1oz of fine gold.
If you don't see a coin in the list below try the Sovereigns page on eBay UK
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List items on:

1927 Full Gold Sovereign PCGS MS65+ George V South Africa Only 3 Graded Higher
1927 Full Gold Sovereign PCGS MS65+ George V South Africa Only 3 Graded Higher
£ 875.00
Sovereign 1911 - 1932 Gold George V Various Dates and Mints 22ct High Grades
Sovereign 1911 - 1932 Gold George V Various Dates and Mints 22ct High Grades
£ 429.99
1927 South Africa Gold Full Sovereign MS61 Grade, a Superb Example of this Coin.
1927 South Africa Gold Full Sovereign MS61 Grade, a Superb Example of this Coin.
£ 575.00
South Africa 1927 SA Full Sovereign Sov Gold Coin UNC King George V KM#A22
South Africa 1927 SA Full Sovereign Sov Gold Coin UNC King George V KM#A22
£ 451.32
[#868572] Coin, South Africa, George V, Sovereign, 1927, PCGS, MS65, MS(65-70),
[#868572] Coin, South Africa, George V, Sovereign, 1927, PCGS, MS65, MS(65-70),
£ 859.00
1927-SA, SOUTH AFRICA GOLD SOVEREIGN, NGC MS-63, .2354 AGW, FRESH LUSTROUS COIN!
1927-SA, SOUTH AFRICA GOLD SOVEREIGN, NGC MS-63, .2354 AGW, FRESH LUSTROUS COIN!
£ 593.85
1927 SOUTH AFRICA - UK King GEORGE V Vintage OLD GOLD SOVEREIGN Coin NGC i95627
1927 SOUTH AFRICA - UK King GEORGE V Vintage OLD GOLD SOVEREIGN Coin NGC i95627
£ 2,152.74
SOUTH AFRICA Britain GOLD 1 Sovereign 1927 NGC MS 64 UNC St. George V Dragon
SOUTH AFRICA Britain GOLD 1 Sovereign 1927 NGC MS 64 UNC St. George V Dragon
£ 711.83

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